Chapter 2 - Personnel
                                 
Table 2.39 Number of War Pensions in payment by type of pension, as at 31 March each year1
1995 2 1997   2003   2004   2005     2006 3 2007   2008
TOTAL IN PAYMENT 309 840   324 640   260 730   247 525 || 235 300   || 223 850   212 535   201 265
  -   -   -   -   -              
Disablement pensioners 260 295   264 595   212 595   201 970 || 191 750 4 || 182 800   173 850   165 165
                                 
1914 war5 475   140   ~   ~   ~   || ~   -   -
Inter-war6 ..   505   170   125   95   || 75   60   50
1939 war onwards7 259 825   263 945   207 395   197 285 || 187 465 4 || 178 890   170 320   161 970
Civilian ..   ..   2 415   2 235   2 090   || 1 945   1 805   1 680
Polish ..   ..   1 195   1 080   980   || 865   755   675
Mercantile marine ..   ..   1 405   1 230   1 115   || 1 005   895   785
Not known ..   ..   5   15   5   || 15   10   ~
                                 
Other pensioners 49 545   60 045   48 135   45 555 || 43 550 4 || 41 035   38 685   36 100
                                 
War widows pension8 48 405   59 025   47 540   44 995   42 525   || 40 065   37 730   35 165
War widower pension8 ..   ..   30 9 40   55   || 60   65   70
War orphans pension10 835   695   45   40   35   || 35   30   25
War parents pension11 305   295   80   60   50   || 40   35   30
Adult dependant pension ..   25   20   20   15   || 15   10   10
Unmarried dependant pension12 ..   ~   ~   ~   ~   || ~   ~   ~
Allowance for lowered standard of occupation only4 ..   ..   ..   ..   460 4 || 435   410   420
Child allowance only13 ..   ..   410   400   405   || 400   400   380
Source: DASA (Health Information)

1.    Pensions, allowances or other payments may be awarded where disablement or death is a result of service in HM Forces, or of an injury sustained as a result of war-time service in the Naval Auxiliary Service, or the Mercantile Marine. Awards may also be made in respect of service in the Polish Forces under British command during World War Two. While most payments are made to people living in the United Kingdom, some recipients are from overseas. Pensions, allowances or other payments may also be awarded where the disablement or death of a civilian of a member of the Civil Defence Organisation is the direct result of an injury sustained as a result of enemy action in World War Two.
2.    Data are not available for 1990.

3.    Following the implementations of the recommendations made as part of the National Statistics Quality Review, improvements were made to the processing of current data. This resulted in some small adjustments (less than 100 total) to the figures.

4.    A number of pensioners receive an Allowance for Lower Standard of Occupation, but do not receive an ongoing war pension. Some, but not all, of these were formerly classified as disablement pensioners.
5.    Disabled because of service between 4 August 1914 and 30 September 1921.
6.    Disabled because of service between 1 October 1921 and 2 September 1939.
7.    Disabled because of service from 3 September 1939 to date.
8.    Paid to the spouse of an ex-service person whose death was in service or related to disablement because of service from 4 August 1914 to date.

9.    A change in the law, from 8 April 2002, governing the War Pensions Scheme means that the provisions for war widowers have been equalised to align with those available to war widows; in effect this means that claims from war widowers are no longer means tested.

10.  Paid to: (i) the child of a deceased service person who has no surviving parent; (ii) a child whose mother was divorced from a serviceman at the time of death; or (iii) a child who is not in the care of the surviving parent.
11.  Paid to a parent of a deceased service person.
12.  Paid to a partner who lived with the ex-serviceman for at least six months before his enlistment, was maintained by him, and who has borne his child.

13.  A case where a Child Allowance is in payment for a child, where one parent has died, and either the surviving parent does not qualify for a War Widows/Widowers Pension, because of remarriage or cohabitation, or the child does not live with the surviving parent.